


There Was This Venonat...

by castronomicalmistakes



Category: Pocket Monsters: Red & Green & Blue & Yellow | Pokemon Red Green Blue Yellow Versions, Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-08
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-05-12 13:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5668402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castronomicalmistakes/pseuds/castronomicalmistakes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean meets Castiel on his way to visit his brother and has to save him from a wild Venonat.  They end up traveling to Cinnabar Island together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There Was This Venonat...

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't have anyone beta this, so please forgive any errors. There are no characters from the Pokemon universe in this fic; it is solely Supernatural characters transplanted in the Kanto region (but, with references to Earth pop-culture. I don't know. How do you write Dean without pop-culture references??) Only Gen 1 Pokemon, because I am an old lady and that's all I ever knew. Once they hit Togepi, I quit learning the new ones and shoved my face back in front of my Pokemon Blue cartridge.

Dean shrugged his left shoulder, urging the backpack he was wearing into a more comfortable position.  His shoulders were once accustomed to the strain of it- Poké Balls, potions, all those damn supplies- they weren’t light (or cheap), but Dean didn’t usually travel on foot these days.  At thirty-two, he had a ‘67 Chevy Impala he adored, and more often than not, he drove the car.  But recently, the traveling experiences he’d had all those years ago when he ran away from home were calling to him.  And, since it was time he paid his scientist dork of a brother a visit anyway, he figured he'd kick it old school.  The lab his brother worked at was on a damn island, of all places, and Dean refused to fly.  He’d never even caught a Pokémon that could fly, aside from a Butterfree ( _ one  _ time, and he traded it anyway.)  Once he reached Fuchsia City, he’d bring out his oldest Pokémon, a beautiful Lapras he’d inherited from his mother, and ride her to Cinnabar Island.

The only other Pokémon he carried with him was a Sandshrew he’d been lucky enough to catch when he was young.  Now a full-fledged Sandslash, her name was Kashmir, after one of his favorite Led Zeppelin songs, and she walked alongside him down Route 14.  He’d left his car up in Vermilion City with one of the few people he trusted with her, his ‘uncle’, Bobby Singer.  Bobby had a garage there, and he owed Dean a tune up he’d bet in a poker game a couple of summers ago.  Dean generally preferred to work on his baby himself, but it was a nice excuse to travel the way he once had.  Plus, he and Kashmir could use some freshening up; it had been a while since either of them had been in a real battle.  He was hoping to find some trainers along the road.  

Smiling, Dean remembered finally reaching Fuschia City all those years ago.  His first steps into the Safari Zone were etched into his memory.  As a kid, the idea of a whole sanctuary where Pokémon just waited around was like walking into a candy store.  He’d never really understood why they gave you rocks, though.  It always seemed easier to catch them when you threw the bait, rather than pissing them off.  

Suddenly, up ahead, Dean heard an angry clicking sound and a man’s terrified yell.  He and Kashmir gave each other a look before jogging ahead to see what was going on.  He found a man standing in front of an angry, wild Venonat.   The Pokémon was clicking the pincers around its mouth angrily and poison was oozing from its round, purple body.  The man- the tall, dark haired,  _ hot _ man, Dean noticed- was backing away from it slowly, muttering apologies.  He was wearing a ridiculous trench coat over what appeared to be a suit and tie.  Probably a business guy from Saffron or Celadon City, Dean figured.  The Venonat was getting a little too close to the man for Dean’s comfort.

“Come on, man,” Dean called, “Just throw out a Pokémon and fight it.” 

“I don’t have any Pokémon,” came the man’s reply.  His voice was low and rough, like gravel and asphalt rubbing together.  It sent a shiver down Dean’s spine.

“What the hell do you mean?”    


“I mean,” said the man calmly, “That I don’t own any Pokémon.”  Dean didn't really see how the guy was remaining so calm, when he had a pissed off poisonous Pokémon likely to attack him.

“Go, Kashmir!” Dean called, and his loyal Sandslash ran forward and jumped between the stranger and the Venonat.

“Kashmir, Sand Attack!” Dean shouted, his battle instincts kicking in immediately.  Quick to obey, Kashmir kicked up a cloud of sand into the Venonat’s face, effectively blinding it’s huge multi-faceted eyes.  Rather than fighting, the wild Venonat ran back into the tall grass on the side of the road.  Dean's Sandslash darted back over to his side and he leaned over to give her face a good rub, avoiding the spines on her back.

Dean then stood and stomped over to the stranger.  “What the hell are you doing out here without a Pokémon?  That’s idiotic.”  

The man’s eyes glared back at him, fierce and cold and so blue Dean was sure the guy was wearing colored contacts.  It was startling and unnerving, and Dean probably shouldn’t be a little turned on by it.

“I don’t believe in forcing beings to fight for you.”    


Dean snarled and got in the other man’s space.  “Fuck you, man.  Kashmir can leave whenever she wants.  I’m not holding her fucking hostage.” 

The stranger looked down to see Kashmir in a defensive position at Dean’s side, glaring at him like he was the angry Venonat.

“It does seem partial to you.”    


“She, you asshole.  She’s a she.” 

The man squatted down and looked at Kashmir.  The Sandslash sniffed him for a few seconds, and then her spines lowered and she no longer looked like she might eat him.

“She’s a very pretty specimen,” the stranger told Dean.

“Uh, thanks,” Dean replied, confused by the sudden turn in the conversation.  “‘Specimen?’  Are you a scientist or something?”   The man chuckled.  “Yes.  And my lab partner would react the same way you did, if he knew I was traveling without protection.”

“Well, it’s stupid.  You should at least be on a bike, man.” 

“There is a boat waiting for me in Fuschia City.”

Dean looked at him in surprise.  “Wait, you’re going to Cinnabar?” 

“Yes.  That’s where I work.”

Dean laughed.  “My brother works there.  His name’s Sam.” 

The man’s eyes lit up and he smiled.  “Winchester?” 

“Yeah!” Dean held out his hand.  Cas took it.  “I’m Dean.  I’m on my way to visit the big dork.”  

“Castiel Milton,” the dark haired man introduced himself with a smile.  "Your brother is my lab partner." 

“No shit!  Small world."  Dean exclaimed.  "Look,” Dean rubbed his neck uncomfortably, “I’m sorry I was a dick.”  He looked up at the sky, darkening with each moment as the sun began to set.  “How about you travel with me?  Kashmir will keep us safe.”

“Thank you.  I- I’d like that,” Castiel replied.

“Alright!” Dean clapped him on the back.  “Let’s get a move on, Cas, daylight’s a wastin’.”

Dean and Kashmir started walking, and Castiel  watched the pair curiously before hurrying to catch up, matching Dean’s stride with Kashmir between them.  Dean was a beautiful man.  He wore a leather jacket over a plaid shirt over a shirt that Castiel thought had some band’s logo on it, and honestly it seemed like overkill, given the mild weather, but the look suited the tall man.  He seemed to be just about the same height as Castiel, if not a bit taller, and his face was a perfect mix of smooth curves and graceful angles.  Green eyes poured out over freckled cheeks, and Castiel had seen the warmth in them when Dean had thanked Kashmir for getting rid of the Venonat.

He suddenly realized Dean had asked him a question.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” he asked.  Dean snorted and gave him a funny look.  “I said, what did you do to piss off that Venonat anyway?”    


“I tripped and landed in a bush, which I guess it was sleeping in,” Cas admitted, his cheeks tinging with pink.  Dean let out a bark of a laugh, before desperately trying to reign it in.  

“Sorry man,” Dean said, “It’s not that funny.”    


Castiel smiled.  “It’s a little funny.  I can admit that.” 

Dean grinned at him.  They walked for a few moments in silence.  Dean took a good look at the other man.  He had dark hair that looked like picture-perfect bed head, his blue eyes were bluer than the bluest blue, and his face, well it was all angles, and really nice to look at.  Castiel had plump lips and a good bit of stubble, and honestly Dean thought he could have stepped right off the cover of a magazine.  After a while, he realized Castiel realized he was staring, and he looked away.   “So,” Dean began awkwardly, “Mind telling me why you don’t have any Pokémon?” 

Castiel sighed and put his hands in the pockets of his trenchcoat.  “It’s… complicated.” 

Dean huffed, an almost worn out sound.  “No worries, man.  Everybody’s got their shit.” 

“It’s not that I don’t, I mean… Fuck,” Castiel spat, running a hand through his dark hair.  “This shouldn’t be so hard.  Isn’t it supposed to be easier to tell all your deep, dark secrets to a stranger?” 

A strong hand landed on his shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.  “Sometimes it isn’t easy to tell anybody.  Don’t worry about it.” 

Castiel nodded, his shoulder tingling where Dean had touched him.  It was strange that Dean didn’t pry, like most people would.  Kashmir seemed to sense his darkening mood, and nudged his hand with her nose, a movement Dean noticed.  And Castiel noticed the flicker of surprise that went across the man’s face when he saw it, but said nothing.  He gave Kashmir a little pat and put his hand back in his pocket.

“So,” Dean began again, seemingly unable to handle the silence, “How long have you known Sam?”    


“A few months, give or take” Castiel told him.  "He was just transferred to my department, Ancient and Legendary Pokémon."  Dean’s eyes lit up.  “Have you ever seen one of the legendary Pokémon?” 

Castiel shook his head.  “No.  But, we think we know where to find one.  There’s supposed to be an expedition soon, up to an abandoned power plant near Route Nine, where Zapdos is said to reside.” 

“Are you going?” Dean asked excitedly.  “Is Sammy?” 

Cas smiled.  Dean’s enthusiasm was infectious.  “Yes, we’ll both be going.”

“Friggin’ awesome, man!” Dean said, clapping him on the back again.  “I hope you find it.” 

“Me too,” Cas said, but it seemed half-hearted.  “I’d love to see it up close, but I fear some of my fellow researchers would be more interested in keeping it captive than studying it.” 

“And you aren’t a big fan of that, as we determined earlier.  Maybe you can keep it for a little bit, and then set it free.” 

“Perhaps,” Cas agreed.  They fell into silence once more, though this time it was tinged with a sadness Castiel knew he was radiating.

Dean cleared his throat.  “We’ll be in Fuschia soon.  Will you head to Cinnabar tonight, or go in the morning?” 

“Tonight,” answered Castiel.  “I have a meeting in the morning.” 

“If you have to get there tonight, why didn’t you take a bus or something, man?” Dean asked.  “Why’d you walk from Vermilion?” 

Castiel shrugged, uncomfortable.  “I like walking.  And honestly, I didn’t expect to get waylaid by an angry Venonat.”  

Dean laughed at that, and sensing Castiel’s unease, dropped the subject.  He began instead to talk about his travels when he was young, helping pass the time with tales of his most epic wins (and his most epic failures, too- some of them were pretty funny stories.)  Castiel listened, paying attention to every word.  Dean was gruff, but he was kind and good at heart.  His Pokémon clearly adored him, and Castiel fleetingly thought maybe he might be starting to as well. 

 

Dean woke up in the small hotel in Fuschia City with a bounce in his step, excited to get to Cinnabar and see his Sasquatch of a brother.  He’d never understand how Sammy, his  _ little _ brother, went from a skinny squirt who Dean had once taught to swim to this enormous Wookie of a dude Dean wasn’t sure he could take in a fight.  In a Pokémon battle, Dean would win, no question- Dean had always been the better trainer.  But Sammy had never really put too much effort into it, focusing on the study of Pokémon rather than battle technique.  Sam’s only prize Pokémon was a Gengar Dean had given him for his 14th birthday, two years after their dad finally kicked the bucket.  Dean had returned to Pallet Town for the funeral, and hauled his brother off to stay with Bobby in Vermilion while Dean continued to travel the world.  He’d offered to take Sammy with him, but his little brother had turned him down, deciding to attend school in the city.  Dean had sent most of the money he’d won in battles with other trainers home to Sam to pay for his education (Bobby told him he’d pay for it, but Dean couldn’t let him, not when he was good enough to win the money himself), until the giant oaf graduated and was offered a job working for a famous Pokémon Professor, (an old windbag named Oak who talked too much, in Dean’s opinion.)  A few years after that, Sam had landed the gig on Cinnabar.  Sammy and Dean had always met back up at Bobby’s house in Vermilion, and Dean hadn’t been to Cinnabar since he was a young boy.  It was a beautiful island, and he was excited to be going back.

He checked out of the hotel, throwing a flirty wink at the bellhop who stood by the door, and headed down to the beach.  He was surprised to see Castiel standing there arguing with a man standing next to a boat.  The guy was still wearing the suit and trenchcoat, and looked strange and out of place on the beach.  Kashmir bristled excitedly and ran over to Castiel.  Dean narrowed his eyes at her.  Traitor.

Castiel jumped when Kashmir brushed her head against his hand, and then he looked up and saw Dean.  The scowl on his face was quickly replaced with a smile, which Dean returned.  “Hey man,” Dean said, his heart beating a little too quickly.

“Hello, Dean,” Castiel said with a grin on his face.

Dean looked at the boat.  “What’s up?  I thought you’d be on Cinnabar already.” 

Cas sighed.  “The boat broke down and we had to turn back yesterday.  They told me it would be ready to sail this morning, but apparently that was hoping for too much.  I’ve already missed my meeting.” 

Dean raised an eyebrow with a careful expression on his face.  “You could always ride with me.  I was about to head out.” 

“Dean, the boat is broken.”    


“My Lapras isn’t,” Dean replied with an eyeroll.  He pulled the Poké Ball from his belt and said, “C’mon Lapras, let’s go for a swim!”  

A beam of light burst from the open Poké Ball and a huge Lapras appeared in the shallow wake of the sea water.  The Lapras let out a trumpeting sound and splashed the water.  Kashmir was hit with a bit of the spray, and curled up, protecting herself.

“Dean,” Cas breathed, “It’s beautiful.” 

“He.  He’s beautiful,” Dean informed him.  “His name’s Jude.” 

Cas waded into the shallow waters.  He reached up and laid his hand on Jude’s neck.  The Lapras craned his neck down and sniffed Castiel’s hair, snorting a spray of seawater into it.  Castiel looked up and smiled at it, despite his hair being ruffled and dripping, and damn if that didn’t melt Dean’s heart.

Dean looked down at Kashmir, who was still curled up in a protective ball.  “Sorry, Kashmir,” Dean murmured.  He bent down.  “You’re going to have to go in for a bit.  We both know the water’s not your jam.”  Kashmir unrolled and looked at Dean sadly.  “I promise you can come out as soon as we get there.”  He scratched her neck and gave the top of her head a little kiss.   Cas pretended not to notice the adorable gesture as Dean stood up and cleared his throat.

“Bye, Kashmir!”  Cas called from the water.  “I’ll see you soon!” 

Dean pulled the second Poké Ball from his belt, and recalled Kashmir.  He waded into the water next to Cas.  “You ready?” 

“Yes, of course,” Cas said.  Dean shrugged off the backpack he was wearing and handed it to Cas.

“What’s this for?” Cas asked in confusion.  Dean climbed on the fin Jude held outstretched for him.  “If you’re in the back, you’ll have to hold onto me for support, and it’ll be easier without the backpack between us.” 

“Why do I have to be in the back?” Cas asked with a grin, slinging the pack over his shoulders.

Dean snorted and held out his hand.  “Cause I like Jude better than you.” 

“After seeing him, I could say the same,” Cas chuckled, gripping Dean's hand and hoisting himself onto the great Pokémon.  Dean laughed and settled in, holding onto one of the knobs on Jude’s shell.  Cas settled in behind him with a bit of space between them.

“Dude,” Dean warned, “You’re gonna want to hold on.”  

“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Cas told him. 

“Suit yourself,” shrugged Dean.  “Let’s go!”  Jude gleefully shot forward, and Castiel wobbled before grabbing Dean by the shoulder and pulling himself forward on the Lapras’s shell.  He wrapped his arms around Dean’s midsection and held on tight.  Dean laughed and let out a whoop as the sea air rushed past his face.  

“Yeah!” Dean shouted.  Castiel found his mouth stretched in a wide grin.  He’d seen a lot of Pokémon in his day, but he was rarely allowed to interact with them in this kind of capacity.  It was liberating.  He watched the sea fly by, and his heart jumped a while later when he realized he could no longer see the mainland.  But, he trusted Dean.  It was irrational, of course, he’d only just met the man, but his brother Sam was an excellent person, and if that was anything to go by, Dean probably was too.

After a while, the initial burst of excitement in Jude died down, and the Pokémon slowed down and began to go forward at a much more leisurely pace.  Castiel was distracted, watching a group of Staryu fly about and play.

“Uh, Cas?” 

Castiel turned his attention to Dean, who he realized he was still holding onto tightly and sitting a bit too close to. 

“Oh, oh, I’m sorry!” he exclaimed, letting go and shuffling back across Jude’s shell about a foot.  Dean turned around to face him, an enormous grin on his face.  “Wasn’t that wild?” 

“It was extraordinary,” Cas informed him, “I’ve never done anything like that.”   Castiel took the backpack off and laid it on Jude’s shell between them. 

“You know, Pokémon don’t have to be like, fighting slaves, or whatever.  They can be your friends.” 

Cas’s smile faded.  “I was raised in a very different environment.  Pokémon were… a commodity, not companions.” 

Dean frowned.  “That’s frickin' terrible, dude.”

Nodding, Castiel looked out over the water.  “I left when I realized how deluded my family was.  I’ve never looked back.” 

“That’s why you don’t have Pokémon,” Dean surmised.  Cas nodded.  “It’s a bit more complicated than that, but yes.” 

“But if you know you can befriend them, what’s stopping you now?” 

Castiel shrugged and turned to look at Dean.  “I don’t know how.” 

There was a helplessness in Castiel's eyes that made Dean's heart hurt.  Dean reached forward and put a hand on Cas’s knee.  “I’ll help you.  Hell, my Pokémon seem to friggin’ love you, so you’ve got something going for you.”   Cas placed his hand over Dean’s without thinking.  “Thank you, Dean.”  It took them both a beat too long to realize they were almost holding hands.  Dean pulled his hand back, settling it on his thigh and clearing his throat.  He kept finding excuses to touch Castiel, and so far, the other man hadn't seemed to mind.  A warm look of affection crossed Dean's face as he watched Cas lean back on both of his hands to look at the sky. 

“Why don’t you keep Kashmir in a Poké Ball?” Cas asked without preamble.  Dean leaned back against the knob on Jude's shell, examining the sky with Castiel.

“She doesn’t really like it.  I let her follow me around all the time when I was a kid, and she got used to being out.  She’s in there now, since the water would just make her faint, y’know, rock types versus water and all, but why would I make her stay in there when she could just hang out with me?” 

Cas tilted his head forward to look at Dean.  “That’s very kind of you.  Not many trainers feel that way.”

Dean sat up and looked at him.  “She and I have been together for a long time.  She's pulled my ass out of some tricky situations.  Kashmir’s my pal.  I owe her a lot.”  Castiel could sense the pride in Dean's voice as he talked about her.  His eyes were drawn to Jude’s graceful neck and curled ears.  “What about Jude?” Cas asked.

“Jude was my mother’s.  I usually leave him with my friend Charlie unless I’m traveling.  Charlie lives in Cerulean City, so Jude pretty much roams the seas there and sleeps at the end of Charlie’s dock at night.” 

“That sounds like a wonderful life for a Pokémon,” Cas said.  “Does your mother visit him often?” 

Dean paled, obviously not expecting the question.  He swallowed and looked away from Castiel’s eyes.  “She died.  A long time ago.” 

For a moment, Cas didn’t speak.  He watched Jude’s expression of joy as he swam along.  When he finally spoke, his words were laced with sincerity.  “If this beautiful creature loved her, she must have been wonderful.”  Dean looked up at him, gratitude written all over his face.  “Yeah, she was.  Thanks, Cas.” 

For the first time since they’d started traveling together, Dean didn’t feel the need to fill the silence.  They sat quitely, watching the waves and water type Pokémon go by.   After a while, Dean pulled some dried fruit from his bag.  He handed some to Cas, without asking if he wanted any, which Castiel took with a smile.

It was a perfect day, really.  The light spray of the water trailing from Jude’s fins swept over their faces and the sun was peeking in and out of clouds, so it wasn’t too hot- Dean would have killed for a day like this when he first started traveling.  But today, he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the stranger he’d met on Route 15.  Castiel looked at everything around him with complete wonder.  It was like he’d never really traveled before, and hell, maybe he hadn’t.  Not everyone went out to be a Pokémon trainer when they were young, and it didn’t sound like Cas’s family would have been too keen on that anyway.  What had he meant by Pokémon used as commodities?  Dean’s father (the devil rest his soul), had spent most of his last years on earth in a drunken stupor, criticizing everything Sam did and picking fights with Dean whenever he was home.  He’d treated his Pokémon like shit during those years, until one day Dean had enough and stole his dad’s Onyx, Pigeot, and Ghastly.  He brought them travelling with him.  His old man never said anything about it, so either he didn’t notice or he didn’t care, and either way Dean knew he'd made the right choice.  Dean ended up leaving the Ghastly in Lavender Town (the guy really liked it there), the Pigeot found a mate when he was on Route 22 so he said goodbye to her on the side of the road, and he’d traded the Onyx for a Lickitung, which he’d later given to a girlfriend, who broke up with him two months later.  All in all, it turned out all he ever needed were Kashmir and Jude.  They’d gotten him out of more tight spots than he’d like to remember.

“Dean?” Cas said, apparently not for the first time.  Dean looked at him.  “What?” he asked with a mouth full of dried mango.  Cas raised an eyebrow at him.  “I said I can see Cinnabar Island.  What had you so lost in thought?” 

“Ah, you know,” Dean said with false cheeriness, looking at the island in front of them, “Old, shitty memories.”  Castiel frowned.  “Surely they’re not all bad.” 

Dean softened.  “No, of course not, I mean-” Dean was interrupted when Jude reared up, tossing himself and Castiel into the water.   _ Oh yeah _ , Dean remembered,  _ that’s why I paid so much for the backpack that’s waterproof and floats _ .  Castiel surfaced first, treading water and looking at the Lapras in front of him.

“Dean, what’s wrong?” Cas asked as soon as Dean’s head was above water.  Dean swam  around to see an angry Tentacool using Poison Sting on Jude, wrapping one of it’s vicious tentacles around Jude’s fin.

“Jude!  Body Slam!” Dean shouted.   Jude surged forward, rapidly shoving his massive weight  into the Tentacool, which went skittering across the water.   “Yes!  I think it’s paralyzed!”

Castiel swam around to the other side where the Tentacool floated, stunned from the body blow. 

“Jude, now-” Dean began, but was interrupted by a call from Castiel. 

“Dean, wait!  It’s injured!”  The two men swam forward and examined the paralyzed Pokémon.

Dean immediately saw what Cas was referring to.  Wrapped around one of it’s tentacles was an old fishing wire, and a large hook was embedded in the tentacle.  It looked like it had been there for a while, the injury blackened and sickly looking.

"It was probably just frightened," Castiel announced.  He looked at Dean.  “Do you have an extra Poké Ball?” 

Dean swam back over to the backpack which lay in the water, floating near Jude.  He climbed onto the fin the Lapras offered him before opening the bag and looking inside.  “No, I don’t.  Dammit!” Dean scowled.  Castiel shrugged out of his trenchcoat while trying to keep himself afloat.  He gently wrapped the Tentacool in it, being careful to avoid the poisonous tentacles.  He pulled it over to Jude, where Dean was waiting on the shell with an outstretched arm.  Dean reached down and pulled the Tentacool onto Jude’s back with a strained grunt.   _ At least it wasn’t Tentacruel _ , he thought,  _ those things have a lot more tentacles. _  Castiel clambered onto Jude’s back awkwardly and reached for the Tentacool.  Dean placed it in Cas’s lap, and sat down behind him.  Castiel leaned over the Tentacool and grabbed the knob on Jude's shell.

“Ready?” Dean asked. 

“Ready,” Cas replied.  

“Jude, let’s roll!” Dean shouted.  Lapras took off at an incredible speed.  Castiel gripped the Lapras's shell with all his might as they plowed through the water, bouncing over waves and slicing through the current.  Dean's arms were wrapped around him, holding the Tentacool in place.  It wasn’t too long before Cinnabar Island was finally life-size.  They slid up onto the beach a bit too quickly, and they were nearly thrown from Jude’s back.  Dean jumped down and took the Tentacool Castiel offered him before climbing down himself.  They immediately rushed toward the street.

“I haven’t been here in so long,” Dean panted, “I don’t remember where the Pokémon Center is.” 

“This way,” Cas said, and started jogging down the street.  Dean followed as fast as he could, but the Tentacool weighed at least 85 pounds, and it was hard to run with.

“Hold up, Cas,” Dean wheezed as they waited for traffic to stop so they could continue on.  “I’m not used to this.” 

Castiel turned and took the Tentacool from Dean’s hands.  “I am.”  As soon as there was a gap in the traffic, Cas ran at full speed down the street.  Dean stumbled and ran to catch up with him.  If Cas could run that fast carrying the Tentacool, Dean could  _ at least  _ keep up with him, no matter how out of shape he was.   They burst through the doors of the Pokémon Center and Cas strode purposefully through the lobby, stopping at the Nurse’s station.  “We found this Pokémon in the water near the island.  It is badly injured.” 

A Chancey wearing a nurse’s cap came around the corner pushing a gurney.  Castiel laid the Tentacool onto it, still wrapped in his trenchcoat.

“May I have your name, sir?” the nurse asked.  Castiel was watching the gurney disappear behind large swinging doors.

“His name’s Cas,” Dean offered.  “Cas Milton.”  

“Alright, Mr. Milton.  Do you have a cell phone we can contact you at?” 

Castiel realized she was speaking to him.  “Uh, no.  No, I don’t.” 

“Take my number,” Dean offered the nurse.  She wrote it down and promised to call them when the Pokémon was out of surgery.  Dean put a hand on Cas’s shoulder, steering him away from the Nurse’s station.

“It’ll be fine, man, they’re good at this stuff.  I’ve brought Pokémon to these places in  _ rough  _ shape, and they always came out okay.  Don’t worry.” 

Castiel turned to Dean.  “Where’s Jude?” 

Dean cocked his head toward the door.  “I left him on the beach.  Let’s go.”  When they got outside, Dean released Kashmir from her Poké Ball.  She looked around excitedly, but pointedly avoided touching Dean or Cas, sidestepping the puddles they left in their wake.   The two men, drenched and recovering from the last twenty minutes, walked quietly down the street back toward the beach.

“Dean?” a voice called from behind them.  “Dean!  Hey, Dean!”  Turning around, Dean found his little (gigantic) brother sprinting down the street in a lab coat gripping some papers in one hand.  Sam had shaggy brown hair that was way too long, as Dean had informed him many times, and underneath his lab coat, he was wearing a traditional Winchester plaid shirt.  Sam swept his brother up in a huge hug before shoving Dean away from him with a frown.

“Why the hell are you soaking wet?” 

“Good to see you too, ya Wookie,” Dean said with a smile.  Sam reached down and gave Kashmir a rub on the head.  She leaned into his touch affectionately.  Sam stood back up and saw Cas.  "Hey, Castiel!"  Cas smiled and returned his greeting.  "Hello, Sam." 

"Do you guys know each other?  And why is Cas wet, too?  What is going on?” 

“Let’s go get Jude and then we’ll tell you all about our little adventure today,” Dean informed him, grabbing his brother’s arm and heading toward the beach.  Cas followed at a distance, watching the two brothers interact.  They immediately fell into their own dynamic, one with playful banter and bickering and excessive name calling.  It was fascinating to Castiel, who’d grown up an only child with overbearing, up-tight parents.  Beneath all the gruffness of their conversation, Castiel could sense real love between the two men.

“A legendary Pokémon, Sammy!” Dean was saying, “I can’t friggin’ believe it!  I’m so jealous.”  Sam shrugged.  “It might not be there, we just  _ think  _ it’s there.” 

“I’ve got faith in you, Sam,” Dean exclaimed, slapping Sam on the shoulder.  “If you think it’s in that power plant, that’s where the sonuvabitch is.” 

They reached the beach to find Jude playfully spraying a few small children with water as they ran gleefully through the shallow water at the shore.  Dean waded into the water and wrapped his arms around Jude's neck.  “Thanks, buddy.  You were awesome today.” 

Standing a few feet away on the sand, Castiel looked at Sam.  “Your brother really loves his Pokémon,” he remarked.  Sam smiled.  “Yeah, he’s a big sap, even if he won’t admit it.  I mean, Kashmir was the only real friend he had growing up.  He had me, of course, but he was so busy taking care of me he was more like a dad.”

“Dean mentioned your mother’s death, but I didn’t realize your father was gone as well.” 

Sam’s eyebrows went high on his head.  “Dean talked about mom?” 

“He was telling me about Jude, and she came up,” Castiel explained.  Sam’s look of surprise didn’t fade.  “Dean never talks about mom.  He still really misses her.  She died when he was four, so he knew her, but I never did.  And our dad wasn’t dead when we were kids, he was just… absent.”  Sam snorted.  “He was a drunk.  I tried defending him for a long time, but once Dean took his Pokémon and Dad didn’t care, I stopped trying.  And he _is_ dead now.  Drank himself to death.  Moving in with Uncle Bobby was the best thing we ever did.” 

“I didn’t have an ideal childhood either,” Castiel confessed, “But I’m sorry for your losses.” 

Sam shrugged.  “Dean did everything he could for me.  He was a better dad than Dad ever was.  Dean even gave me my first Pokémon.”

Castiel’s eyes lit up.  “Stevie?”  Castiel had met Sam’s Gengar on a few occasions.

Sam smiled.  “Yeah.”

“I keep meaning to ask you, why did you name her Stevie?” Cas asked.  Sam pushed a lock of his long hair out of his eyes.  “Stevie Nicks," he replied matter-of-factly.

Castiel frowned.  “Is that a reference to something?”

“Are you serious right now?” Dean asked as he approached.   Jude was no longer on the shoreline, so Castiel assumed he was back in his Poké Ball.  “You don’t know who Stevie Nicks is?” 

Castiel shook his head and shrugged apologetically.  

“Buddy, we are going to fix that one day,” Dean said seriously.  “But first, I need a shower.  And a beer.  And a burger.  And maybe another beer.” 

Sam laughed and rolled his eyes at his brother.  “My place is a few blocks from here.  We can pick up burgers on the way.”  He and Dean started to walk away, but Castiel did not follow them.

“I’ll see you at the lab, Sam,” Cas called and turned to go.  He'd thought his new friendship with Dean was progressing well, but perhaps he needed some time alone with his brother.  Castiel tried to quell the feelings of inadequacy and jealousy that rose to the surface.

Dean whirled around.  “You’re not coming?”  He couldn’t help the look of desperation that crossed his face as he realized he didn’t want Cas to leave.

“I didn’t realize I was invited,” Castiel said, an edge of irritation in his voice.  Dean realized his mistake and put his arm around Castiel, leading him back to where Sam was standing.  “It goes without saying, dude.  We have to tell Sam about our trip!”  Castiel’s lips quirked into a smile.  His smile grew when Dean didn’t pull his arm away.

Sam eyed them suspiciously as they all continued down the street.  “How do you guys know each other, anyway?” 

Dean started chuckling and Cas reddened.  “Well you see,” Dean began, “There was this Venonat.” 

**Author's Note:**

> So I kept seeing pictures of Team Free Will holding Pokemon on Tumblr, and this just popped out. I don't know if there will be more of it. I have some ideas, but... we'll see! Thanks for reading. :D


End file.
